...Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data ISBN 978-0-916152-17-8 This report is published by the Ethics Resource Center (ERC). All content contained in this report is for informational purposes only. The Ethics Resource Center cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions or any liability resulting from the use or misuse of any information presented in this report. ©2012 Ethics Resource Center. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. Additional copies of this report and more information about permission and licensing may be obtained by calling 703-647-2185, or by visiting www.ethics.org/nbes. The Ethics Resource Center (ERC) is America’s oldest nonprofit organization devoted to independent research and the advancement of high ethical standards and practices in public and private institutions. Since 1922, ERC has been a resource for public and private institutions committed to a strong ethical culture. ERC’s expertise informs the public dialogue on ethics and ethical behavior. ERC researchers analyze current and emerging issues and produce new ideas and benchmarks that matter — for the public trust. For more information, please contact: Ethics Resource Center 2345 Crystal Drive, Suite 201 Arlington, VA 22202 USA Telephone: 703.647.2185 FAX: 703.647.2180 Website: http://www.ethics.org Email: ethics@ethics.org NBES Sponsors The 2011 National Business Ethics Survey® was conducted with the generous support of: Principal Sponsors Walmart Stores...
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...Creating and Maintaining an Effective Ethics and Business Conduct Program About DII The Defense Industry Initiative on Business Ethics and Conduct (DII) is an organization comprised of companies that provide systems, professional services, weapons, technology, supplies and construction to the U.S. Department of Defense. DII Signatory Companies are united in their commitment to adopt and implement the highest standards of business ethics and principles of conduct that acknowledge and address their organizational responsibilities under federal procurement policy and law. DII seeks to promote and nurture a culture of ethical conduct within every company in the defense industry. DII members, and the CEOs of every DII company, must abide by DII’s core principles. The DII Principles, updated in March 2010, state: We, the members of the Defense Industry Initiative on Business Ethics & Conduct (DII), affirm our commitment to uphold the highest ethical standards in all our business dealings with the government, as expressed through the following principles: 1. We shall act honestly in all business dealings with the U.S. government, protect taxpayer resources and provide high-quality products and services for the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces. 2. We shall promote the highest ethical values as expressed in our written codes of business conduct, nurture an ethical culture through communications, training, and other means, and comply with and honor...
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...Reporting Practices and Ethics Tiffany L. Richardson HCS 405 July 18, 2011 Todd Brown Reporting Practices and Ethics Financial Management is a fundamental part to successful healthcare financial planning. Financial decisions are a necessary part of the day to day operations of any type or sized health care facility. These decisions are made in accordance with the facilities fiscal objectives and accounting practices. It is important that the individuals making these decisions follow proper reporting and ethical practices since these decisions affect the future of the entire facility. In order to make finical decisions it is important to understand generally accepted accounting principles, corporate compliance, ethics, fraud and abuse. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles Generally accepted accounting principles are guidelines, objectives and conventions that have been set up over time to dictate how financial statements are prepared and presented (FASAB, 2010). The GAAP includes standards, conventions and the rules in which the facilities accounting department following when summarizing reports and preparing financial statements (Baker & Baker, 2011). Third parties that use these financial reports must then rely on the information to be free from all prejudice and discrepancy without debate. If the information is false then the GAAP standards were not followed and the facility is not in compliance and therefore behaving unethically (All Business, 2011). Facilities...
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... 10/18/13 COM 450 Ethics Essay Within the vast world of communication in this country, there are many aspects of ethical issues that present themselves within each field. Media practitioners of all sorts face these ethical dilemmas often, especially when dealing with honestly reporting or relaying information to their surrounding society. Specifically the individuals, who work in journalism, the news, or public relations, face these issue within their code of ethics on a daily basis. Journalists and news agencies have an obligation to their field and society to report the information they have gathered truthfully and absolutely impartially to the people. If a journalist reports a story about someone that is bias or untrue, they are breaking the code of ethics within their field. Although many people view the news and journalism as two totally different forms of reporting, both have to use the same code of ethics when reporting a story. With so many different sources of news outlets and journalists in this country, we often may hear slightly different information between outlets while dealing with the same story. If all news outlets are supposed to report what they learn truthfully, impartially and fairly then the facts within a report should not change depending on the news outlet it is coming from. Media bias is something that has been going on since the beginning of media practice in this country. There are many factors that can make one news outlet different from...
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...Ethical Dilemma Walter Thibodeaux CJA 474 May 21, 2012 Evan Cohen Ethical Dilemma Individuals face many challenges when entering into new employment or profession. The new job’s culture is not quickly learned; therefore, one has to observe and take notes on his or her new job’s way of doing things and adapt. In this ethical dilemma, a police officer has just transferred to a new department. In his transition to the new department, the officer witnesses another officer violating the department’s ethical code of coduct. The officer witnesses another officer taking gifts from the community members and local businesses he services. As a new member to the department, the officer debates on what actions if any he should take in this situation. What measures do you take in regarding this type of ethical conduct? What measure would you take? “Integrity is telling myself the truth. And honesty is telling the truth to other people.” In this situation, the officer faces a difficult dilemma of integrity. Reporting the situation would not only show the officer’s integrity but also labels him as one who tattles. On the other hand, the officer does not want to cause any ways because he is new to department. In this situation, I would first speak with the officer informally about his actions in private. Taking this action will make hopefully the officer conscious of his unethical behavior; hence, discontinuing his dishonorable behavior. Although the unscrupulous officer...
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...statements and always pay close attention to ethical concerns that may arise. Since ethics is such a major concern in the accounting industry, a rules based system is in place for enforcing ethical concerns. There are many regulating bodies that exist that enforce many highly detailed regulations that people within the industry must follow at all times. Throughout history there have been several major accounting scandals that have been followed by new regulation to ensure that these problems do not come up again. CLERP 9 and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act are just a couple of acts that have caused significant changes to the accounting world in recent times. This paper will look at some of the different issues that accountants face as well as some of the regulations that seek to end unethical behavior. Ethical Standards in Accounting Introduction The accounting industry is an always changing and constantly growing industry. Accounting plays a vital role in society and business and up until recently accounting was considered to have some of the highest standards for ethical and moral conduct in business. In recent years there have been many high profile business failures caused by the unethical behavior or accountants and accounting firms. Since some major companies, like Enron were involved in serious financial scandals, there has been a push to increase regulation and oversight over financial reporting. At one time accounting professionals were...
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...reporting pratice and ethics paper hcs405 Reporting Practices and Ethics Paper By Ben Parks Introduction Every successful business has considered a role in reporting practices and ethics to be a significant part to their success. For many companies it can be a difficult burden when faced with the ethical compliance and accuracy for financial management. In this paper we can discuss the basic elements of financial management reporting practices and ethical standards in a health care world that is reforming as we speak. With great amount of changes will comes accountability to everyone inner and outer of the organization. This subject will explain the elements of financial management, general financial ethical standards, and will oversee some corporate scandals involving ethics, fraud, and abuse. The way an organization correlates, organizes, and prepares the reports for its financial information is part of its financial practices that it adheres too in order to accomplish the goals for its ethical standards. Today’s health care plans play a very important role in financial management. A company would be unable to operate without proper financial planning. The importance of storing and tracking all accounting records while being up to date will be the main factor as to whether the guidelines are being followed. This also allows the outer management to determine how the company is doing as a whole and also be aware as to where most of the funding is going. With new...
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...tardiness would be an employee who shows up more than five minutes late to work three or more times a month. Also excessively calling off to work is not acceptable. With the exceptions of being ill or having a family emergency it is generally not acceptable to call off work. An example of excessively calling off would be either calling off three or more times in a month or consistently calling off every month of employment. The fourth element of behavior will be the drug policy. It will under no circumstances be acceptable to bring illegal drugs to the workplace. It will not be acceptable to take illegal drugs while employed for this company. It will also not be acceptable to come to work while intoxicated. Section 2: The Ethics Training Program The Ethics training program will be about the cell phone policy. Cell phone use...
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...Reporting Practices and Ethics Paper Nicole McLaughlin HCS/405 December 8, 2014 Jack Heinen Reporting Practices and Ethics Paper This paper will seek the financial reporting practices, ethical standards, accounting principles, corporate compliance, ethics, or fraud and abuse in the articles that was chosen to be reviewed. Financial reporting in a medical office or a healthcare organization relies on financial data to be close to real time as they can get it. The financial reporting has advantages such as analysis, visualization, and assistance in decision-making ("Financial Reporting", 2009). Chief financial officers use the financial reporting to help identify the profits and the cost of the healthcare organization. Financial reporting will lead the financial personnel to quantified, data-driven choices which will benefit them with accurate planning, forecasting, and budgeting ("Financial Reporting", 2009). Financial reporting can aid in to reduce a cost, profitability, predict and respond to changes in the market ("Financial Reporting", 2009). Ethical standards in a healthcare organization should be guided by integrity, serves as a role model, and support a culture that provides high-quality, cost-effectiveness health care which helps the ethical behavior and practices of individuals throughout the organization ("Creating An Ethical Culture Within The Healthcare Organization", 1992-2011). It does not matter if the person is a gift shop manager or a CEO of a four star...
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...Ethics in Journalism James Menephee Com/450 October 21, 2012 Professor Nicole Kragt - Ethics in Journalism In 1909, a fraternity at DePauw University called Sigma Delta Chi was formed for students that had extensive interests in the field of Journalism. Later this group became The Society of Professional Journalists (SBJ). Over time, especially with the growth of technology and expanding outlets of news, such as radio and television the SBJ felt that it was important to develop a code of ethics for journalists. Obviously this was enforceable by law, but it served as a guide of ethical behavior and almost all journalists and their organizations have adopted some or all of the guidelines. In addition to its preamble, the guidelines are made up of four distinct ethics responsibilities. The first ethical responsibility of journalism, according to the SPJ is to "search for the truth and report it." This speaks to the core of every journalist. This guideline goes on to specify methods and practical examples of how this is done. For example, while revealing the truth is the primary goal, that is not enough; the manner in which this information is obtained is just as important. It can't be obtained through illegal means, and if an "uncover method "is used, this can only be done if the this is the only way to reveal the truth. It also includes guides on how images are presented to the public. Like words, images should be used to present the truth, not distort it to manipulate...
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...Chapter 1 The Canadian Financial Reporting Environment Prepared by: Dragan Stojanovic, CA Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto The Canadian Financial Reporting Environment Role of Financial Reporting • Financial statements and financial reporting • Accounting and capital allocation •Stakeholders Objective of Financial Reporting •Management bias •Users’ needs Standard Setting • Need to develop standards • Parties involved in standard setting • Standard setting in a political environment GAAP • GAAP hierarchy •Professional judgement • Role of ethics Challenges Facing Financial Reporting • Globalization of companies and capital markets • Impact of technology • Changing nature of the economy • Increased requirement for accountability 2 The Canadian Financial Reporting Environment Role of Financial Reporting • Financial statements and financial reporting • Accounting and capital allocation •Stakeholders Objective of Financial Reporting •Management bias •Users’ needs Standard Setting • Need to develop standards • Parties involved in standard setting • Standard setting in a political environment GAAP • GAAP hierarchy •Professional judgement • Role of ethics Challenges Facing Financial Reporting • Globalization of companies and capital markets • Impact of technology • Changing nature of the economy • Increased requirement for accountability 3 Characteristics of Accounting 1. Identification, measurement, and communication of financial information about;...
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...WGU EST1 Task 2 Company X Ethics Program Standards and Procedures: Company X expects all employees to conduct themselves with integrity, professional and responsible actions at all times. An employee’s actions in both personal life and professional life should avoid any situations that (A) could be construed as harmful to the company or its employees or (B) cause negative public reactions that could impact Company X customers or customer relations in adverse ways. You are a Company X representative during work hours and during off work hours. Violations of Company X rules of acceptable behavior will be viewed as misconduct, which upon review can constitute immediate suspension. Pending further review and investigation some violations may result in termination. The following section is not an all- inclusive list of violations but a snapshot of some that could result in immediate termination. * Falsification of Company documents and or records such as, but not limited to, time cards, company financial reports and travel expenses for reimbursement. * Failure to report an accident involving a company issued vehicle. * Insubordination or refusal to follow instructions or carry out work task without proper justification. * Misuse of company resources such as but not limited to, the internet, computer and phone usage. Ethics Training Common Ethical Values: The following will provide employees and potential employees with a clear understanding of what...
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...John Rolph EST1: Ethical Situations in Business Task 2 Standards and Procedures 1.) Information Confidentiality: As an employee, you will be exposed to client-sensitive as well as company-sensitive information that is to be viewed only by those who have the authority or permission to do so. Such information to be considered “confidential” includes business contracts, financial information, internal correspondence, and any and all documentation (electronic or paper-based) that is not authorized to be disclosed to the public. Disclosure of sensitive information will lead to immediate termination and possible charges/fines (depending on the severity of the violation) as is legal under state and federal law. Employees should not take advantage of privileged information and share it with our competitors. By leaking confidential information you are threatening the well-being of the company as well as that of our clients. If left unsure of what information is considered confidential, please consult with your direct supervisor, HR Department, or Legal Team for further guidance. 2.) Proper Communication: Company X’s public communications are to be properly constructed and delivered in a clear, accurate and informative manner. All direct communications with the public should be factually correct and not misleading in any manner. Such public communications include, but are not limited to speeches, press releases, and quarterly earnings reports or other public financial sharing...
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...April 21, 2011 Accepted: June 10, 2011 Published: August 20, 2011 Ethical Compliance by the Accountant on the Quality of Financial Reporting and Performance of Quoted Companies in Nigeria 1 G.N. Ogbonna and 2Appah Ebimobowei Department of Accounting, Faculty of Management Sciences, University of Port-Harcourt, Port-Harcourt, Nigeria 2 Department of Accounting, Bayelsa State College of Education, Okpoama, Brass Island, P.M.B. 74 Yenagoa, Nigeria 1 Abstract: The study investigates the ethical compliance by the accountant on the quality of financial reporting and performance of quoted companies in Nigeria. Five hypotheses guided the study. The sample for the study which was twenty companies from five sectors quoted in the Nigerian Stock Exchange. They were systematically and purposively selected from the number of quoted companies in the exchange. A five point scale questionnaire was used with items on ethical issues on organizational financial reporting and performance. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistical tools and Spearman Rank Order Correlation Coefficient. Findings suggest that the compliance by the accountant positively and significantly affect the quality of financial reports and performance of organizations. The conclusion drawn from the findings is that the compliance by the accountant on professional ethics of integrity, objectivity, honesty, compliance and accountability will improve the quality of financial reports and the performance of organizations...
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...Accounting ethics is primarily a field of applied ethics and is part ofbusiness ethics and human ethics, the study of moral values and judgments as they apply to accountancy. It is an example of professional ethics. Accounting introduced by Luca Pacioli, and later expanded by government groups, professional organizations, and independent companies. Ethics are taught in accounting courses at higher education institutions as well as by companies training accountants and auditors. Due to the diverse range of accounting services and recent corporate collapses, attention has been drawn to ethical standards accepted within the accounting profession.[2] These collapses have resulted in a widespread disregard for the reputation of the accounting profession.[3] To combat the criticism and prevent fraudulent accounting, various accounting organizations and governments have developed regulations and remedies for improved ethics among the accounting profession. ------------------------------------------------- Importance of ethics The nature of the work carried out by accountants and auditors requires a high level of ethics. Shareholders, potential shareholders, and other users of the financial statements rely heavily on the yearly financial statements of a company as they can use this information to make an informed decision about investment.[4] They rely on the opinion of the accountants who prepared the statements, as well as the auditors that verified it, to present a true and fair...
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